Electric-switch mechanism.



J. G. PETERSON.

ELECTRIC SWITGH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DBG.10, 1908.

937,957, Patented Oct. 26, 1909,

Wifinesses. m Ewen 0r.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J OI-IANN Gr. PETERSON, OF HARTFORD, CON NECTIC'O'T, ASSIGNOR TO THE, ARROW ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC-SWITCH MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

Application filed December 10, 1908. Serial No. 466,747.

To all @071 out it may concern Be it known that I, JOIIANN GODFREY ford and State of Connecticut, have invented ing to this invention.

a new and useful Electric-Switch Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to the construction of the commutator, that is, the movable parts which include the movable poles or contacts. of a rotatory snap electric switch.

The object. of this invention is to provide a very simple and cheap construction whereby, with parts the same shape, a commutator for either a single pole or double pole rotatory switch may be readily built.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a plan of a commutator, or the movable parts, of a double pole rotatory snap electric switch that embodies the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a projection of the mechanism in Fig. 1, showing an elevation with the parts turned 90 degrees from the position shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a plan of the same with one set, of pole plates or contacts omitted, as when the commutator is built up for a single pole switch. Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of thesingle pole switch commutator illustrated in Fig. l. Fig. 6 shows a plan of the contact carrying plate. Fig. 7 shows a side elevation of the contact-carrying plate. Fig. 8 shows a plan of one of the pole plates or contacts used in building up either a single or double pole switch accord- Fig. 9 shows a side elevation of the commutator with a single thick pole plate or contact.

The spindle 1 is of ordinary form and is adapted to be mounted on -the customary base in the usual manner. Coiled about the spindle is the usual actuating spring 2, which is placed under tension by turning the handle for rotating the commutator when the latter is released from the locking means commonly located on the base below the commutator.

The pole carrying plate 3 is loosely mounted on the spindle above the cam 4 which is employed to effect the release of the locking means in the well known manner. This pole carrying plate has a central perforation 5 through which the spindle extends and perforations 6 for receiving parts of the looking mechanism, which is not shown in the this drawings, as that mechanism is of common construction and forms no part of invention. When the pole carrying plate is formed four arms, lugs or posts are turned up at right angles from the edges of the plate. These arms are all the same distance from the axis of the late, and the two arms 7, which are diametrically opposite each other, are shorter than the two arms 8, which are also diametrically opposite each other, but located at 90 degrees from the arms 7.

lVhcn building up a switch pole plates 9 are mounted on the arms. These plates may be single thick plates or may be double thin plates,preferably the latter. Perforations 10 are made in the pole plates, preferably, somewhat larger than the upper ends of the arms, and insulating washers 11 are placed each side of the plates and in the perforations so as to insulate the plates from the arms which support them. It is also desirable to place a metallic washer 12 below and above the insulating washers for the purpose of adding strength, and when the parts are assembled the ends of the arms are upset, punched, swaged or peened over against the upper washers so as to hold the parts securely in place. The end portions of the central opening 13 through the contact plate is wider than the width of the arms in order that the plate mounted on the short arms will encircle but not touch the long arms which pass upwardly through it, and thus an air space is provided of suflicient size to prevent any possible contact between the lower plate and the long arms, or any jumping of electric current from the plate to the arms, as shown in Fig. 4.

In order to build up a single pole'swit'ch one thick or two thin spring plates as desired are mounted upon the upper end of one pair of arms, usually the shorter, and to build up a double pole switch, a single thick plate or a pair of thin plates are mounted on the upper ends of the short arms as above described. and then a single plate or pair of thin plates the same shape are mounted in the same manner upon the upper ends of the longer arms. When two similar sets of plates are mounted in this manner, they extend at right angles to each other, as shown in Fig. 1, the lower being separated from the arms which support theupper by an air space as described. The carrying" plate with integral arms bent upward as described is simple and chea to make, and the contact plates, whether single or double are cheaply stamped to shape by the same dies and readily assembled so as to be secure and perfectly insulated.

The invention claimed is;

l. A; commutator for a rotatory snap electric switch having a supporting plate with four integral arms projecting in the same direction from the same surface and at right angles therefrom and pole plates mounted on said arms.

2. A commutator for a rotatory snap elec tric switch having a supporting plate with four integral arms projecting in the same direction from the same surface and at right angles therefrom, two of'said arms being longer than the other two, and cont-act plates mounted on said arms.

3. A commutator for a rotary snap electric switch having a supporting plate, four integral arm's projecting in the same direction from'the same surface thereof and at right angles therefrom, two of said arms being longer than the other two, and contact plates mounted on but insulated from said arms.

4. A commutator for a rotatory snap electric switch having a supporting plate, four integral arms extending in the same direction from the same surface thereof and at right angles therefrom, two of said arms being longer than the other two, a contact plate mounted on the shorter arms, and a contact platie mounted on the longer arms, the said contact plates extending at right angles to each other.

5. A. commutator for a rotatory-snap electric switch having a supporting plate, four arms extending in the same direction from the same surface thereof and at right angles thereto, contact plates mounted on said arms, said contact plates having central openings wider than the width of the arms.

6. A supporting plate for the rotary parts of an electric snap switch formed of a plate with four integral arms projecting in the same direction from the same surface and at right angles therefrom, said arms being located the same distance from the axis of the plate, and two of said arms being longer than the other two.

7. A commutator for a rotatory snap electric switch having a supporting plate, four arms extending in the same direction from the same surface thereof and at right angles thereto, contacts mounted on two of said arms, and contacts mounted on the other two of said arms, said contacts extending at right angles with each other.

JOHANN G. PETERSON.

Witnesses:

JOSEPHINE M. STREMPFER, H. R. WILLIAMS. 

